Thomas Tuchel insists Chelsea were 'unlucky' in FA Cup final defeat

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has claimed that his side deserved to win Saturday's FA Cup final against Leicester City, but luck was simply not on the Blues' side.

Tuchel's side spent a large part of the game on top against eventual winners Leicester City, whose victory was sealed by a worldie of a strike from Youri Tielemans that enraged Chelsea because of an apparent handball from Ayoze Perez in the build-up.

Fortune went against Chelsea once more late on as Wes Morgan's late own goal was chalked off by VAR in one of those crushing offside calls against Ben Chilwell, who was no more than a single shirt fibre beyond the last defender.

"Of course we're disappointed but we're not angry, not with our performance and not with our boys," Tuchel said (via the club's official website) ."I think this performance in this game is enough to win.

"Today we were simply unlucky, we've never hidden the fact you need luck to win at this level. All the time you needed a certain momentum, you need some little details and decision-making.

"We defended very well. We were very aggressive on the counter press, we defended high up the pitch, did not allow any counter-chances for one of the most dangerous counter-attacking teams in Europe, and we did not allow any half-chances or any chance.

"I was absolutely happy with the work-rate and intensity. But some decision-making in the first half was a bit too hectic, we went too straight up front.

"We wanted to force the solution too fast, we had some unnecessary ball loses and some imprecise decision-making, because we created some two-against-two and three-against-three situations that were more promising than what we made of them."

Tielemans' goal was particularly hard to take for Tuchel, who watched his side come out on the wrong side of a handball decision last time out against Arsenal, when Rob Holding's hand denied Mason Mount an equaliser and Chelsea a point that would have eased their top-four fears.

"There was also a handball against Arsenal on the goal-line against us, and VAR did not interfere," Tuchel recalled. "But I'm not an expert honestly on handball anymore. I don't absolutely know when it's hand and when not.

"So you need a bit of luck in these decisions but I didn't see it so I cannot comment and give my opinion."

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